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Article: Enter the prince. (United Malays National Organization is splitting)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- February 13, 1988
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1988 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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THE grand old party in Malaysia, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), is splitting. Is the split a deep and unmendable one of the kind that rent Indian politics when Indira Gandhi broke with the old Congress party in 1969 and formed her own? Or is there merely some fraying at the edges which Malaysia's astute prime minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, will be able to fix?
These questions are prompted by the announcement on February 8th that Tunku (Prince) Abdul Rahman, Malaysia's first prime minister and UMNO's founding father, is starting a new political party. The tunku and Dr Mahathir have never much cared for each other. The dislike was partly personal. ...